Kesha on Gun Control, Equality, and That Obama/Clinton Mashup of "Timber"

Over the last year Glamour's team of writers and editors have spoken to thousands of young women in Iowa, New York, Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and beyond, as part of our 51 Million Voices campaign, a partnership with Facebook named for the 51 million women under 45 who are eligible to vote in 2016. And one thing is clear: For them, this election is personal. For the October issue of Glamour, we asked Hollywood activists, political legacies, and young women who know these issues better than anyone else to explain why this race matters. Here, singer and songwriter Kesha, 29, talks about combatting gun violence and what she thinks of the Obama/Clinton mash-up of "Timber."

GLAMOUR: You were at the DNC in July performing at Gabby Giffords' Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC event. When and how did you first connect with the issue of gun violence?

KESHA: Unfortunately, growing up in America, it's all too common to hear about people getting shot on an everyday basis. It breaks my heart and makes me sick every time I hear of innocent people being killed by guns. Gun violence is an epidemic in America. We cannot ignore all of the mass shootings and lives lost due to the lack of gun control. People keep throwing their hands up in defeat about this issue, but that's not an option anymore—we need change immediately.

And we should not divide ourselves by politics on this issue; it affects everyone. It's our collective safety—it's our family members going to school or a club or even just the movies and coming home safe. I understand that the right to own a gun is a constitutional issue, but our first right as humans is to live. By not putting some sort of boundaries on gun ownership, the right to simply live is taken away from some people for no reason. Why does a hunter need an assault rifle? And if anyone can buy an assault rifle, why can't we all buy rocket-propelled grenade launchers? Where is this line exactly?

You can't predict when someone's anger or resentment will become so deep that they want to kill another person, but you can monitor who has access to guns, and what kind of gun they have access to. I love how free our country is and believe that love and empathy can heal divisions, but if our politicians—regardless of political party—cannot do something to reduce the frequent mass shootings and daily violence, they are not doing their job. We can't just keep turning a blind eye. I believe in keeping America as free as anyone else, but as a fellow human being we need to open this discussion up for real change. We have to do something to keep ourselves, our families, and all our brothers and sisters safe—we are all in this together.

GLAMOUR: You often talk about how love and empathy can heal us, how we have to love each other and support each other, which is a direct contradiction to Donald Trump's message this election cycle. How have you reacted to Donald Trump's hateful rhetoric?

KESHA: Love trumps hate—period. And let's please not give a man the control of nuclear weapons who flies off the handle at a negative Twitter comment. That scares me.

GLAMOUR: Did you ever see the supercut of Clinton and Obama "singing" "Timber" and do you have any thoughts on it?

KESHA: I love that mashup. Hillary and Obama make a pretty good rap duo.

GLAMOUR: What issue does this election ultimately come down to for you, and why?

KESHA: For me, it comes down to human rights. It's about who is going to stand up and fight for equality for every human, no matter the color of our skin, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, or anything else. I believe we need a leader who will unify us. Based on her current platform, I stand with Hillary Clinton. This election comes down to hope versus fear, and I choose hope.